Click to enlarge, and debate the strip below the line. John Holder's verdict appears in Sunday's Observer and here from Monday.

John Holder's verdict

1) As soon as the players collide, call and signal dead ball. This is especially important when there is a clash of heads resulting in a potentially serious injury. As regards a dismissal – you would have to be sure that having taken the catch, the fielder had full control of his further movement. The fact that he collided with another fielder is proof that he did not. This actually happened to me when I was a youngster playing for my high school in Barbados: I was knocked clean out while taking a catch. After I came round I was apparently insistent on returning to the field – they wouldn't let me. Robin Hazlehurst wins the book.

2) Apart from awarding five penalty runs to the batting side and reporting the fielding team for blatant time-wasting, there is not much else you can do. The authorities, though, should convene a hearing afterwards: blatant time-wasting will not be tolerated. This sort of behaviour is contrary to the "Spirit of Cricket" which is a cornerstone of the laws. Also it looks bad to spectators, harms relations between teams and tarnishes the image of the game. Thanks to Peter Lincoln.

3) Out, run out. This is a case of blatant obstruction and the law has been changed to outlaw it. And the ball does not necessarily have to be hitting the wicket for run out for obstruction to be adjudged – the act of changing direction and the ball striking the running batsman is enough, if there is an appeal. The umpire's decision is final.

A similar thing happened earlier this year in an ODI between Pakistan and South Africa. There was a mix-up in calling for a second run between two Pakistan top order batsmen and as Hafeez, the non striker, ran towards the bowler's wicket, he suddenly changed direction, ran in front of the wicket and the ball struck him. The South Africans appealed and, after the umpires conferred, Hafeez was given out for obstruction.

The decision caused a great deal of discussion and some criticism between commentators and former South African Test stars Kepler Vessel and Shaun Pollock. They said that they had been taught as youngsters to deliberately run in front the wicket to prevent being run out, but this is illegal. If a batsman obstructs a fielder from taking a catch, that is obstruction and his colleague will be given out on appeal. Why should doing the same thing to prevent a run out be different? Thanks to Joe Stark.

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